We celebrate the most wonderful season of the year with our customs and traditions that complete our  holiday experience such as caroling, shuffling the Christmas playlist, home decor with the brightest lights and the December trees. These traditions spent with loved ones become our most cherished memories.



The Starbucks 2019 Planner aims to capture the authentic expression of handcrafting whether it be on art or on Starbucks beverages. Each page will inspire you to handcraft & illustrate your year. Available in Espresso and Milk colors, each cover features a canvas finish with metallic gold and copper stamping and comes with a Canvas Pouch and a limited edition Starbucks Card. The 2019 Starbucks Travel Organizers is the newest addition to the Starbucks Christmas Traditions, the new 2019 Starbucks Travel Organizers comes with a classic design and a zipper closure to keep your valuables safe. Available in Dark Teal and Sienna and comes with a Special Edition Starbucks Card.



Availing the Starbucks 2019 Planner and Travel Organizer is getting more easier as any Tall, Grande or Venti Starbucks handcrafted beverage purchase will earn you 1 sticker, you must accumulate a total of 18 stickers to redeem either of 'em. Stickers may be collected until January 7, 2019. A registered My Starbucks Rewards customer can also participate by opting-in the promo through the Starbucks Philippines Mobile App. The Starbucks for a Year Promo is also open to all Starbucks Philippines customers who own any of the Starbucks Christmas Traditions Starbucks Card included in the 2019 Starbucks Philippines Planner or Starbucks Travel Organizer. Visit starbucks.ph/coffeehouse/promotions for more details.

Starbucks welcome the season with delicious beverages that deliver the holiday cheer in each sip, this year, the blend is the magic - it’s where all the things we love about the season come together to make our Christmas experiences extra special.


Starbucks is serving classic holiday beverages such as returning favorites; Toffee Nut Crunch Latte and Peppermint Mocha. These Christmas beverages will be available in hot, iced and blended format. The newest holiday treat, the Snowy Cranberry White Mocha which is a blend of roasty espresso, velvety steamed milk, toasty white chocolate sauce topped with whipped cream and cranberry sugar sprinkles.

The Starbucks Christmas Blend and Starbucks Christmas Blend Espresso Roast is also here fill your homes with Christmas flavors. The Christmas Blend has expertly roasted and blended aged Sumatra beans and lively Latin American coffees that make for a sweet cup balanced with its cedary spiced layers while the Christmas Blend Espresso Roast is customized for espresso with a deeper sweetness and a hearty spiciness.



Speaking of perfect match, these Starbucks featured food goes perfectly with the Starbucks holiday beverages, the soft Choco Peanut Butter Bun filled topped with crushed roasted peanuts and a chocolate and peanut butter drizzle is a contender. Also in the menu are is the Almond Matcha Doughnut and Baked Cheese Tart. Breakfast delight just got richer and creamier with Cereal Milk Pudding. Meatier options includes the Mexican-style Chicken Fajita Roll, the Cranberry Pistachio Turkey Flatbread and and the Baked Burrito.



Chocolate-loving guests will enjoy returning favorites like the seventeen-layer Chocolate Crepe Cake with Belgian chocolate cream filling, the moist Chocolate Toffee Nut Loaf, New offerings like the Chocolate Oat Cheesecake, milk chocolate and vanilla white cheesecake and Christmas Barks.


The chiffon-light Vanilla Blueberry Cake finished with milky cream frosting and blueberry cookie crumble is such a mouth watering for its kind. Holiday cookies like the Choco Chip Overload Cookies and Chocolate Cracked Cookies covered in confectioner’s sugar.


The 2018 Starbucks Holiday Gift Card Collection is a series of cards depicting lovely Christmas moments to spread the joy of the festive season. Three designs on your gift giving starting with the Snowman card, the Holiday Tree card, and the Maligayang Pasko card with initial amount requirement of 300 pesos.

Every Christmas traditions at Starbucks posted at Cebu Events Blog

Allianz, represented in the country by Allianz PNB Life, one of the leading global insurer embarks on a long-term investment in Cebu as it opens at the seventh floor of Buildcomm Center right at the Cebu Business Park. Allianz agency expansion in Cebu is a boost for the thriving business in Cebu, especially that it is the insurance sector leader for initiatives directed to climate change, human capital development, information security, tax strategy, and financial inclusion.

Allianz PNB Life Brand Communications and Digital Director Rei Abrazaldo said as the world’s number one insurance company acknowledged by Dow Jones, Allianz is here to be the responsible insurance partner worthy of the trust of every Cebuano. Allianz’s long-term commitment here is to be your responsible partner in making the best sound financial decisions to grow your financial portfolio and secure your family’s future.

The Insurance Commission (IC) data showed total premiums of the life insurance industry grew at a healthy rate of 28 percent, reaching Php116.14 billion in the six months ending June 30, 2018 from Php90.79 billion in the same period in 2017.

Allianz PNB Life Chief Finance Officer Efren Caringal Jr also said they are proud of the company’s achievement since they are able to reach out to more Filipino families in providing them insurance protection and investment opportunities. Their performance is only possible due to the continuing strong engagement from their employees, intermediaries, and various partners. Caringal cited in particular the very solid contribution from its key bancassurance distribution partners, Philippine National Bank and HSBC.

The Allianz PNB Life performance last year had made it the fastest growing life insurer in the Philippines, according to the official IC statistics. The company is primed to repeat its success story. It has been expanding its business regionally, addressing the need for quality insurance and financial products in various provinces across the Philippines. More than 700 entrepreneurial-minded professionals have joined its newly established agency distribution network.

Allianz PNB Life Chief Executive Officer Dr. Olaf Kliesow attributed its success to the rising per capita income of Filipinos backed by the country's strong economic growth. The country's GDP grew six percent. Kliesow believes the country's sound macroeconomic fundamentals will also support the growth of the insurance industry.

In the next three years, Allianz PNB Life aims to sustain its growth by expanding its customer base and providing the insurance needs of around 100,000 Filipinos by 2020. Currently, it covers the insurance of more than 60,000 Filipinos. Caringal remarked that “more needs to be done in the area of expanding financial inclusion since majority of Philippines remain either uninsured or under-insured”.

The threats brought about by the lack of accessible financial security of a good number of Filipino families is an opportunity for Allianz to position itself as a partner of Filipinos in their journey towards financial prosperity and well-being. “We are doing this through the expansion of our agency channel, and the Visayas is an important growth engine for us. Through our Life Changer program, we are able to offer life insurance career opportunities for millenials and mothers. Our portfolio of products have been well-designed to cater to a wider market of Cebuanos” Abrazaldo adds.

The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers where its customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance.

90% of property market searches are being done online, this is a hint for sellers and developers alike. At the recently concluded two-day Lamudi Housing Fair held at the Ayala Center Cebu last September 8 and 9, 2018 gathers property developers, brokers, bank representatives, and buyers, led by Lamudi Managing Director and CEO Bhavna Suresh Chathambeth also in the ribbon cutting ceremony on the first day.


Project developers and other exhibitors anchored the Cebu Housing Fair and each had their own expertise, projects, and products to showcase to those in attendance. Experience Ortigas & Company their model units onsite using virtual reality (VR) technology. Titling tips and services imparted by the Land Registration Authority. Banks such as RCBC Savings Bank offered housing loan products while UnionBank actively held an auction. Brokers who wanted to expand their presence in the industry had Keller Williams Philippines to consult. This was complemented by PAREB-CESOREB, whose Cebu real estate broker membership has been growing since 2015.

Megaworld and Robinsons Land being the most active developers in the country already staked out Mactan through their respective projects, Mactan Newtown and Amisa. Ayala Land had its Amaia arm present the Amaia Steps development while Avida offered special discounts for its Riala project. Quadruple A contractor DMCI also went all out in marketing its Pasig-based Satori Residences and had hopes of having their first Cebu property soon.



Homegrown developers Gaisano-led Taft Properties partnered with world-class development group Hong Kong Land to create Mandani Bay, a beautiful waterfront township project. King Properties presented their home office concept Meridian, set to be located within Cebu City’s Golden Triangle. Primary Homes also had visitors considering its award-winning condo development, Brentwood in Lapu-Lapu City. Other Cebu-based property developers were Softouch Property Development Corp., AboitizLand, Inc., Contempo Property Holdings and RDAK Land, Inc. Event sponsors such as Food Panda, Zalora, and Lazada also made the event more engaging for the attendees.

UnionBank’s Asset Recovery Group headed by UnionBank Vice President Edzel Babas energize the mood and gave a short background talk on the team’s role, as well as the auction procedures. The special auction’s pace was systematic: items sold fast as each went to sole bidders in a matter of seconds. All properties that were bid upon were purchased at their indicative prices. UnionBank also gave special discounts to successful bidders.


It's Unionbanks's fifth Lamudi event and turned out to be successful too. Mr. Babas shared that Unionbank were able to dispose of a total of 27 properties, he also commended the partnership with Lamudi as the number one online portal in selling properties and very happy about the partnership.

Lamudi’s Senior Account Manager for Visayas and Mindanao Jeff Canonigo shared some insights on Cebu’s property market. According to him, pre-selling properties would quickly get sold out, especially those coming from local developers. He also noted that Cebu Business Park is the city’s rental condominium hotspot.

Lamudi heads the pack in its industry as the leading online real estate platform. It has grown from 2014 to now 2018 which has 1.5 million website visits every month delivering over 100,000 monthly leads for its subscribers. Its new Lead Management tool only makes selling much easier for brokers, property developers, and owners alike. New subscribers are welcome by the Lamudi team and brief with the process at the event. Online marketing courses were also provided by the Lamudi Academy for the 2-day Housing Fair. Converting online leads to sales , Delivering excellent customer service and Top channels to use online are some of the classes delivered by Lamudi’s Learning and Development Coach Nadine Pacis.

The great turnout of Lamudi’s Cebu Housing Fair signifies Cebu's property market is set out to be one of the country’s next real estate center. An insight to look for are influx of waterfront developments that has the potential to raise property values in the metro and even brighter prospects for City’s progress.

Successful Lamudi Housing Fair Cebu 2018 posted at Cebu Events Blog

Starbucks re-imagines the biggest symbol of its brand, the two-tailed Siren with the release of its limited-edition Anniversary Collection. An artwork themed “Celestial Beauty of the Undersea” has ethereal qualities with the siren swimming in a sea of stars.


Since 1971, the Siren has been the brand’s enduring logo that invites customers inside its stores across the world. The two-tailed siren is taken from a Norse woodcut from an old maritime book pays homage to the seafaring history of Seattle as a port city and the journey of coffee itself which is often being transported across the seas.

For the Anniversary Blend, Starbucks celebrates its legacy of coffee roasting, blending expertise  and craftsmanship with a complex and full-bodied cup with spicy and earthy flavors - a bold fusion of aged Sumatra, Papua New Guinea and Indonesian coffees blended together and roasted. Starbucks Anniversary Blend is available in whole bean and VIA format.

The limited edition Anniversary Blend Card, another tribute to the mythical sea creature features the siren’s blue-green tail with copper gold detailing available in minimum activation of 500 pesos.



The siren has continuously transformed through the years along with Starbucks growing global community. When the company revamped itself into a coffeehouse in 1987, its muse was colored an emerald green and given a more contemporary look. In 1992, the logo was zoomed in on the siren, focusing on her wavy locks and warm smile with just hints of her two tails. Eventually, 2011 ushered the biggest change yet as the siren broke away from her circle and became the icon that we all know today. Now, she remains the welcoming face of Starbucks, pulling in coffee-lovers with her enigmatic smile.

Starbucks celestial siren themed anniversary collection posted at Cebu Events Blog

Cañedo Equity Ventures, Inc. (CEV) inked a deal with Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) innovators Acumatica and Infosoft for its business system management. Eyeing more growth through technology, as manual work just does not work anymore. CEV COO Arturo C. Zamora said that tapping Infosoft's Acumatica system is one of the biggest projects embarked on by CEV when it comes to application of technology.

In the photo (L-R): Jennifer Fronteras- Infosoft Sales Consultant (Vismin), Ivy T. Moll- Infosoft Director, Professional Services, Rodney Yap- Infosoft Director (Vismin Operations), Filomena S. Cañedo- CEV Chairwoman, Arturo C. Zamora- CEV Chief Operating Officer, and Chris Patong- CEV Sr. ICT Manager.

CEV hopes that the project will really help them make their processes more efficient and effective and make the entire company a lot more productive than what it is now. And they're looking forward to an enduring and strong partnership with Infosoft and Acumatica. They are venturing into new businesses that include property management, utilities development and management, and technical vocational training and education, with an ever-expanding reach in its national operations.

CEV group is poised to take on more growth, charting very ambitious undertakings until the Year 2028; riding on the robust economy, ample business opportunities, borderless economies, and leveraging on the strength and talent of its people and management. 

Infosoft and Acumatica welcomes and accepted the challenge posed by CEV. Infosoft VisMin Operation Director Rodney Yap said they are excited with the challenge presented. Both are also on an ambitious growth path thus they are also embarking on a highly collaborative effort as CEV group will be relying on them and vice versa. Infosoft holds half of the success, and the other half with CEV. Infosoft is blessed to deal with people who only want what is best for their companies, Yap added.

Infosoft Chief Finance Officer of Joris Spanhoff said he feels confident that the partnership would be a success. He's confident that his team in VisMin is very strong with the guidance of Acumatica. A great challenge and opportunity for them for the success of both. He also congratulates CEV for the milestone.

Acumatica Southeast Asia Regional General Manager Shine S. Mathew said that dedication and commitment of their team to learn the solutions and deliver creates trust on customers. Acumatica are with CEV and Infosoft throughout the project step by step.

Acumatica Enterprise Resource Planning delivers adaptable cloud and mobile technology with a unique all-inclusive user licensing model, enabling a complete, real time view of one’s business anytime, anywhere. Through its worldwide network of partners, Acumatica provides the full suite of integrated business management applications, including Financials, Distribution, Manufacturing, Project Accounting, Field Service, Commerce Edition, Construction Edition, and CRM.

It will be initially implemented in the real estate arm of CEV, Philippine Paramount Property Ventures Inc. (PPPVI) and its mining company Frasec Ventures Corporation. PPPVI aims to develop exceptional communities while upholding its commitment to its growing clientele.

Frasec Ventures Corp. (FVC), Celestial Meadows Developers Corp. (CMDC), Philippine Paramount Property Ventures, Inc. (PPPVI), LA Cresta Homes, Inc., Technical Vocational Center of Cebu (TVCC), Formobilt Corporation, GoldCoast Property Management, and Pacific Utilities & Resources, Inc. (PURI) are subsidiaries of CEV.